It’s the most common question I get: How do I get an article about me or my business in the Business Record? I have a really long answer for you explaining the nuances of our mission and products that I’ve previously addressed in part 1 and 2 of this series. And I’d encourage you to read those parts before heading out and acting on the advice I’m about to give here in part 3. But, this is one trilogy where the third installment can be read out of order. So feel free to continue reading and then go back for the prequels.

Today I have for you a targeted – much shorter – answer to how you can get a story in the Business Record.

Here it is, boiled down to one line:

Develop a relationship with the reporter who covers your industry.

And now the nuance. Our three senior staff writers and our managing editor have 41, 35, 24 and 37 years, respectively, of journalism experience; our columnist has 40. Collectively as a newsroom of eight we have 198 years of journalism experience. It’s one of our newsroom’s biggest strengths and uniquely positions us to produce the type of quality, in-depth articles that provide the context and analysis of the business community.

You might think that as editor, my job is to tell them what to write about. Sure, there are times I do, but quite frankly, I treat them each as the editor of the industries they cover. And that means they each have the responsibility to be out and about, searching for the types of stories that are going to help business leaders like you do business better.

Now, here’s the secret — the best story ideas almost always come from our readers, people like you who are on the ground seeing and experiencing the challenges, issues and opportunities facing the business community. That positions you to be a possible resource for the reporters, helping them stay up to date on new initiatives, changes in the industry and news that other Business Record members might find helpful. And, by nature, this can position you as an expert to the wider business community.

What you’ll find is that when reporters go to write a story and are looking for subject matter experts, they often turn to the sources who originally had the idea and to people with whom they’ve established a trusting two-way relationship.

Is all this relationship talk conjuring up the late-night parking garage conversations in “All the President’s Men”? Well, while we of course want a relationship that allows you to feel comfortable telling us off-the-record tips, the reality is, not every story is Watergate-esque.

But every news story isn’t always simple either, and firing off a press release doesn’t always maximize the return on your news because it doesn’t allow us to figure out when and where to best position a story to increase its value and exposure. Having an experienced contact here at the Business Record whom you feel comfortable calling up and talking to about a possible story is absolutely the best way not only to get in the Business Record but to maximize each opportunity.

Despite what you might have seen on television or perhaps even experienced in the past, our reporters aren’t out to burn you with gotcha stories. They are here to help the business community do business better. That doesn’t mean they’ll blindly cheerlead either. To accomplish that mission of helping business, sometimes they have to write tough stories about the challenges facing the community. But once again, when those times arise, our staff can fall back on years of journalism experience and the relationships they’ve built to write a fair, factual story.

So my advice is simple. Find a time to reach out to the writer who covers your industry. A call, email or coffee meeting can go a long way toward building a relationship that will benefit you, our reporters and ultimately the wider business community.

And of course, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Chris Conetzkey
Publisher of the Business Record
515-661-6081 | ChrisConetzkey@bpcdm.com

Want more?

In two earlier pieces, I gave this advice about getting in the Business Record: Don’t order a news pizza. Do know our audience. Do understand the audience we serve. Read both pieces to learn about how you can align yourself with our mission to help business do business better.

PART 1 | PART 2